Filed under: Hardware
Test Drive a Mac mini
This will take some folks back, Apple is letting people 'Test drive' a Mac mini (online only). You can try the Mac mini out for 30 days and if you don't like it just send it back to Apple and you'll get your money back with nary a question asked. This promotion ends October 31st, so if you have been itching to try a Mac now is your chance.
Apple has done this before when the first Macintosh was introduced. You could walk into a store in November of 1984 and walk out with a Mac to try for 24 hours. If you didn't like it you could just return it.
Thanks, Brian.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alex said 12:46PM on 8-30-2005
hah, i'm not sure this is the audience for this... most here i'm assuming have a mac.
But this is cool... but what are they gonna do with the mac mini's that get returned? sell them refurbished?
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Jason said 12:44PM on 8-30-2005
Why, oh why not 'Test Drive a iBook'?
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Oliver said 5:35PM on 8-30-2005
is this U.S. only? Apple's best deals usually are, although i don't see any mention of it on this page..
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Jay Contonio said 1:24PM on 8-30-2005
Well they're obviously not updating the minis during macworld now huh? Dammit!
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Matthias said 1:38PM on 8-30-2005
Well, wasn't this a disaster for Apple, 21 years ago? 1000s of unusable Macs were returned, I hope, this test drive doesn't end like that...
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human after all said 1:38PM on 8-30-2005
"what are they gonna do with the mac mini's that get returned?"
i wonder how many people can try osx for 30 days and then go back to windoze? in my case it took me about 10 minuits on a friends ti book 3 years ago to have me hooke.
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token said 1:39PM on 8-30-2005
how is this different form just buying the thing and then returning it normally?
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Drew said 1:42PM on 8-30-2005
Why are there still no Mac TV ads airing? I feel like Apple has placed the Mac on pause until Mactels begin rolling out.
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Chris Murphy said 2:43PM on 8-30-2005
Maybe someone reading this can tell me a simple question:
How are the sales of Mac Minis?
I know that the whole point behind the Mini
was to get "switchers" -- is it working?
Are they selling really well, or
is this a move of desperation by Apple?
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Blue Balloon said 2:52PM on 8-30-2005
#7, naw, all Mac-curious freak are online addict, will find ads. :)
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Drew said 4:52PM on 8-30-2005
#9, Most potential switchers aren't Mac curious freaks. Mainstream interest and buzz in the iPod only began once television was inandated with those damn dancing shadow commercials.
My Macless friends have no idea of the benefits OS X has over Windows. The iPod "halo effect" will only have a real impact on market share if Apple does a better job educating the swarms of consumers who don't read tech blogs all day.
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Jon W said 7:46PM on 8-30-2005
I think this is a strong indicator there is a media mac coming out!
They are trying to get rid of the mac minis, which were a great stepping stone to the intel-based media mac device.
That changes everything ;)
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GadgetFan said 8:42PM on 8-30-2005
Actually, I'm a switcher of exactly the type Apple has been shooting for with the halo effect and the mini. So it does happen. I'm a computer user from way back (punch cards, anyone?), but for business reasons had never used a Mac. My husband got me an iPod for Christmas. I had owned an MP3 player for years but didn't use it much, 'cause it wasn't that slick to use. I _loved_ the iPod's power and ease of use. Then the Mac mini was released so I got one to play with. Was quickly hooked, and now I am slowly converting family and friends. I am one of those people who is "tech support" for friends and family on multiple continents, so I am actually affecting lots of users (for an individual, of course; not on the scale of a Superbowl ad). I will be forwarding the "try 30 days" promo to a few friends who are thinking of buying now. It will close a couple of deals. But of course, this "deal" needs to be advertised where non-Mac-users will _see_ it too, to be really effective.
The mini is important to Apple, IMHO, because of price point. Everyone I talk to about which PC or laptop to get is initial-price-sensitive. This "deal" will make the trial idea even easier, which is necessary to overcome sales resistance to an unfamiliar product.
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Kasper said 9:59AM on 9-10-2005
I wouldent say Im a switcher since I still own a pc (and love it). I use my mac mini as my secondary computer and its great for it. Love osx, but then again windows Xp works for me as well.
But Mini is a great product.
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